Thermal Conductivities

of Metals
By James McDonald, PE, CWT
Originally Published: CSTN February 2005

ver wonder why chiller tubes are made of copper? Take a look at this
table:

Metal
Copper
Aluminum
Admiralty Brass
Carbon Steel
Stainless Steel

Thermal
Conductivity
BTU/hr ft F
411
164
126
56
19

Copper is much more thermally conductive than aluminum, admiralty brass,

carbon steel, and stainless steel. So why is carbon steel used so much in heat
exchangers? In spite of its relatively poor thermal conductivity, it is widely
used for heat transfer piping in process applications because of its low cost
relative to other alloys. Stainless steels low thermal conductivity is partially
counteracted with the ability to have thinner walls because of its high
strength and corrosion resistance.

Odds & Ends

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